Life-saving means for ships



April 1931- w. T. MARSTRANDER ,801,516

LIFE SAVING MEANS FOR SHIPS Filed April 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JK fllk E? JI X Mm s/mmmm ATTORN EYS April 21, 1931. w. T. MARSTRANDER 1,301,516

LIFE SAVING MEANS FOR SHIPS Filed April 12, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR Wi MQ ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 PATENT! OFFICE WILHELM TORALF MARSTRANDER, OF NEW'CASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND LIFE-SAVING MEANS FOR SHIPS Application filed April 12, 1930, Serial No. 443,818, and in Great Britain April 17, 1929.

This invention relates to life-saving means for passenger or cargo ships, and has for its object to provide im'proved means for supporting, travelling and launching a ships L5 lifeboats and an improved construction of lifeboat especially applicable thereto.

In life-saving means according to my invention, each lifeboat is stowedon chocks on the ships deck and secured by lashings. $140 When the boat is required, the chocks are lowered and the lashings cast off, leaving the boat freely suspended from overhead wheeled blocks on a runway supported above the deck whereon said blocks and boat can be travelled to bring the boat to the desired position for loading and launching. The runway connects with one end of a launching wire attached to the outer end of a pivoted boom on the deck which can be swung outboard to extend and support said wire which forms an inclined track approaching the water at a distance away from the ships side. The lifeboat is launched by allowing its wheeled blocks to travel down said launching wire,

2 means being provided on the wire in advance of the boom for automatically and simultaneously disengaging the blocks from said wire when the lifeboat has almost reached the water level so that the impetus of the boat causes it to glide onto the surface of the sea on a level keel. For use in calm weather, the lifeboat may be of the usual open-decked construction, but, in order that my improved life-saving means may be available in any weather, I prefer to employ a lifeboat provided amidships with an adjustable watertight cover of curved shutters which can be slidden together to completely enclose the amidships portion of the boat or overlapped to form a central roof with open spaces on 'each side for the oars when rowing. The chocks on the deck which normally take the weight of the boat are preferably supported by wedges which can be mechanically moved apart to lower the chocks and leave the boat suspended from its wheeled blocks. The lashings which normally secure the boat are connected to the chock wedges so as to be automatically cast off from the boat by the moving apart of said wedges.

The accompanying drawings illustrate lifesaving means according to my invention. In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of the after end of a passenger ship showing a number of lifeboats, a runway and a launching wire and its supporting boom; Figures 2 and 3 are end and side elevations of the preferred construction of lifeboat with its supporting chocks, lashings, wheeled blocks and runway; Figure 4 is a thwartship section of the lifeboat; Figure 5 is a plan of the preferred chock-releasing gear; Figure 6 is a profile of a cargo vessel provided with launching wires forward and astern; and Figure 7 is a part thwartship section of a ship showing the tackle supporting a boom.

Referring to the said drawings, while ordinary open-decked lifeboats may be used when weather conditions permit, I prefer to employ lifeboats a each of which has an arched cover comprising a pair of adjustable curved watertight shutters b which can be slidden to extend between the gunwales a and completely enclose the normally open amidships portion of the boat as shown in Fig. 4, or lie one overlapping the other to form a central roof as shown in Fig. 3 leaving spaces at each side for the oars when rowing. Ports '0 (Fig. 4) for vision and ventilation are provided in the vertical ends of the raised stem and stern portions a a The shutters Z) are supported at intervals by arched members a (Fig. 3).

The usual tiller cl of the boats rudder d is coupled to an arm d beneath it fixed on a shaft (Z passing through a bearing in the raised stern portion a said shaft being lit-- ted with a supplementary tiller d below said cover so that the rudder can be manipulated when the shutters b are closed.

For launching or in heavy seas, the shutters Z) are closed to render the boat completely watertight. Even if overturned by heavy seas, water is prevented from coming inboard and the boat quickly rights itself. A sea anchor may be attached to the rail a (Fig. 3) when required.

The lifeboat a is normally supported on the deck t of the ship by chocks e which are shaped to receive the keel a and take the weight of the boat. The chocks e are supported by oppositely sliding wedges e operated by right and left hand screws simultaneously rotated by bevel gearing 7 from a longitudinal shaft f rotated by a handwheel i which may be disposed on the bridge of the ship under the control of an officer. Operation of the shaft f slides the wedges e apart and lowers the chocks until the boat hangs freely suspended from wheeled blocks is mourned on a runway m carried by fixed davits n on the deck t. This slight lowering of the boat frees its gunwales a from lashings which normally hold the boat steady on the chocks. Each lashing comprises a screwadjiufled clip 9 on a rod 9 loosely pivoted at g on the deck t. Eye bolts 9 normally ensockets e on the wedges e are pivotally attached to the rods 9 and as the wedges more apart the outer sockets e bear on stops 2 on the bolts g and push the lashings clear of the gunwales a and so free the boat.

The blocks is are attached to hooks j on the raised stem and stern portions a a of the boat. Each block has a wheel k running on the runway m. The lifeboats may be disposed on the bridge deck or on a deck below it, or in deck houses. The runway m extends along each side of the deck, being connected by curved end portions m so that boats on the weather side of the ship can be run round to the lee side for launching.

For launching the lifeboats, a number of strong wires p are provided, each wire being attached at one end to a suitable point in the runway m and at its other end to the fore or after end of the ship, said wire passing over aguide r (Fig. 1) at the end of a boom r pivoted on a bracket u of the mast u so that it can be lowered and swung outboard as shown in Figs. 1, 6 and 7. VV'res p and booms r are provided on each side of the ship on that the boats can be launched from either side in either the fore or aft direction. \Vhen the booms are outboard, the wires 7) form inclined rnnways extending towards the wafor well clear of the ships side. Guy-ropes r secure the booms against fore and aft swaying. Preferably the pivot of each boom :lies in line with the points where its wire p is attached to the runway at and to the fore -01 after end of the ship so that the boom can in swung up and down without affecting the tension of the wire, but springs may be inserted in the wires and tackle provided to tighten or slacken them as required.

The booms are lowered and raised by suitable tackle under the control of hand and power winches on the bridge and poop decks. The boom are braced up alongside the mast u when not in use.

The boats are launched by switching their wheeled blocks it onto a wire 7) and allowing them to run down the inclined wire freely or under the control of a tail rope. Means are provided for automatically disengaging the blocks from the wire when the boat has almost reached water level so that the impetus oi the boat causes it to glide onto the surface of the sea on a level keel as indicated in Fig. 6, said means comprising a ribbed sleeve 8 (Fig. 1) mounted on the wire 7) in advance oi the boom 7' and weighted to normally maintain its proper position. lVhen the more forward of the two blocks L supporting a boat eng gages and rides on the ribbed sleeve, it is caused by the out-turned end portion .9 of the rib to leave the wire and, the weight of the boat being thus applied on one side of the wire, the sleeve is caused to partially revolve about its axis and tilt both blocks so that they simultaneously tall oil the Wire and the boat is automatically freed from the wire before it reaches the boom 9.

The lifeboats a are intended to be launched with their shutters I) closed, and, as the wines p extend well away from the ships sides, there is no risk of a boat being dashed against the side of the ship, and safe launching is assured in any weather. Further, as all the boats can be launched from the lee side of the ship and in the direction in which the sea is running, they glide onto the surface of the sea on even keels and risk of upset is eliminated.

To avoid any risk of a boom striking a launched boat when the ship is rolling, a spring g is provided as shown in Fig. 7, said spring being attached to a rope '12 passed around blocks to and attached to a block :0. The hoisting tackle 3 3 passes around the block 0? and around a double block 2 attached to the end of the boom 9*. The tackle y is connected to a hand winch on the bridge deck and controls the lowering oi the boom, and the tackle y is attached to a power capstan on the poop and controls the raising of the boom. The spring g yields when the weight of the boat is on the wire 7) but is suiliciently strong to raise the boom iimnediately the boat is rclcar cd from the wire.

The wires 7) may also be used for returning boats to the ships deck by attaching the hooks j oi: the boat with a pair of wheeled bloclc: is on the wire which may be slackenod, it necessary, to allow of this. The boom 1' sup 'iorting the wire is subsequently raised above the deck t so as to incline the wire p towards the runway m and allow the boat to return to the runway by gravity.

\Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Lite-saving means for ships comprising, in comb mition, a number of lifeboats, means for normally supporting and securing said liteboats on the ships deck, a runway above aid deck. overhead wheeled blocks on Said runway, means for suspending said lifeboats from said blocks, a pivoted boom on the ships deck, means or swinging said b00111 Outward,

means for supporting said boom in its outboard position, a launching wire connected at one end to said runway and attached at its other end to the fore or after end of the ship, a guide on the outer end of said boom engaging said wire intermediate of its ends, and means for automatically and simultaneously disengaging from the wire the wheeled blocks carrying a boat before the boat reaches the boom.

2. Life-saving means for ships comprising, in combination, a number of lifeboats, each lifeboat having an adjustable watertight cover to enclose its amidships portion, means for normally supporting and securing said lifeboats on the ships deck, a runway above said deck, overhead wheeled blocks on said runway, means for suspending said lifeboats from said blocks, a pivoted boom on the ships deck, means for swinging said boom outboard, means for supporting said boom in its outboard position, a launching wire connected at one end of said runway and attached at its other end to the fore or a 'ter end of the ship, a guide on the outer end of said boom engaging said wire intermediate of its ends, and means for automatically and simultaneously disengaging from the wire the wheeled blocks carrying a boat before the boat reaches the boom.

3. Life-saving means for ships comprising, in combination, a number of lifeboats, each lifeboat having an adjustable watertight cover to enclose its amidships portion, wedgesupported chocks on the ships deck for normally supporting said lifeboats, means for mechanically moving apart said wedges to lower said chocks, lashings for normally securing said boats on said chocks, means for automatically casting-off said lashings when said wedges are moved apart, a runway above said deck, overhead wheeled blocks on said runway, means for suspending said lifeboats from said blocks, a pivoted boom on the ships deck, means for swinging said boom outboard, means for supporting said boom in its outboard position, a launching wire connected at one end to said runway and attached at its other end to the fore or after end of the ship, a guide on the outer end of said boom engaging said wire intermediate of its ends, and means for automatically and simultaneously disengaging from the wire the wheeled blocks carrying a boat before the boat reaches the boom.

4. Life-saving means for ships comprising, in combination, a number of lifeboats, each lifeboat having an adjustable watertight cover to enclose its amidships portion, Wedgesupported chocks on the ships deck for normally supporting said lifeboats, means for mechanically moving apart said wedges to lower said chocks, lashings for normally securing said boats on said chocks, means for automatically casting-0E said lashings when said wedges are moved apart, a runway above said deck, overhead wheeled blocks on said runway, means for suspending said lifeboats from said blocks, a pivoted boom on the ships deck, means for swinging said boom outboard, guy ropes for securing said boom in its outboard position, tackle for lowering and raising said boom, a spring inserted in said tackle, a launching wire connected at one end to said runway and attached at its other end to the fore or after end of the ship, a guide on the outer end of said boom engaging said wire intermediate of its ends, and means for automatically and simultaneously disengaging from the wire the wheeled blocks carrying a boat before the boat reaches the boom.

5. Life-saving means for ships comprising, in combination, a number of lifeboats, each lifeboat having an adjustable watertight cover to enclose its amidships portion, wedgesupported chocks on the ships deck for normally supporting said lifeboats, means for mechanically moving apart said Wedges to lower said chocks, lashings for normally securing said boats on said chocks, means for automatically casting oif said lashings when said wedges are moved apart, a runway above said deck, overhead wheeled blocks on said runway, means for suspending said lifeboats from said blocks, a pivoted boom on the ships deck, means for swinging said boom outboard, guy ropes for securing said boom in its outboard position, tackle for lowering and raising said boom, a spring inserted in said tackle, a launching wire connected at one end to said runway and attached at its other end to the fore or after end of the ship, a guide on the outer end of said boom engaging said wire intermediate of its ends, and a weighted sleeve 7 

